News & Notes

Vic Odermat, president and CEO of Brown Bear Car Wash, and his son, Lance, vice president, were the subject of a feature article in Seattle Weekly.

The profile focused on the Odermats experience working together managing their chain of 39 carwashes in Washington state. The chain is the 16th largest conveyor carwash operation, with 19 conveyor sites.

Earlier this year, the Odermats commissioned a study to show residential and charity carwashes are hurting the environment in the Puget Sound region. In March, Vic Odermat was named to the Carwash Hall of Fame by the International Carwash Association (ICA) at its annual meeting during Car Care World Expo 2007.

In Other News

Econocraft Worldwide Mfg., Inc. has made Flagstop Carwash of Richmond, VA, an exclusive distributor of its equipment for the state of Virginia.

Econocraft manufactures tunnel and in-bay automatic carwash systems.

Bob Scrum, president of Flagstop Carwash and Quick Lube, will continue to operate his five carwash sites, as well as distribute Econocraft equipment with Jamie Nester, vice president of operators for Flagstop.

Flagstop's newest express wash opened in May and features all Econocraft equipment. It has 17 free vacuums on an almost one-acre site.

Ben Alford, owner of Benny’s Car Wash in Baton Rouge, LA, and former president of the International Carwash Association (ICA) hosted a Father/Son (or daughter) Meeting at his carwash in mid-August along with Jimmy Branch, owner of three Speedy Car Wash locations in Panama City, FL, and also a former ICA president.

The meeting drew over 60 attendees.

D & S Car Wash Equipment Company recently expanded its distribution network with the addition of new distributors in Oregon, California, Texas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Kentucky and West Virginia.

The distributors were appointed to help D & S further expand its sales and service activities and help gain market share in the professional carwash, quick lube, convenience store and automobile dealership segments.

Each week will offer a different educational topic and will be facilitated by an experienced PDQ employee and subject matter expert.

The program has been underway for over a year, and now has expanded to include sessions to assist beginners and veterans in the carwash industry.

The upcoming webinar schedule:

Oct. 2: Setting your wash packages to increase revenues
Oct. 9: How to choose a site for your new wash
Oct. 16: Carwashing as an investment

Regional Roundup

The Western Carwash Association (WCA) is catering to the needs of detailers by offering a “Detailing Pavilion” on the show floor of its annual show and expo, Car Care 2007, held this year in Las Vegas from Oct. 7-10, as well as offering a major education initiative for detailers.

A “Detailing Pavilion” at the show will be made up of some of the major manufacturers and suppliers to the detail industry.
A full day of detail educational programs is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost for detailers is $100 and includes the all-day detailing seminar, a two-day pass to the expo and a free lunch.

The Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA) will hold its annual Convention and Fast Lube Expo March 10-13 in Las Vegas, NV, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Convention Center.

The Fast Lube Expo is the world's largest event dedicated to buyers and suppliers in the fast lube industry, with hundreds of booths offering a variety of products and services.